Some days, I hunger for perfection and nourish myself only with anxieties and swallowed feelings.
Today, give me a hunger for life and a thirst for connection,
and the willingness to embody these through sustaining my body. Amen.
Growth needs nourishment.
Today I will sustain my body, as God sustains my spirit.
Open my eyes to understand:
that food is not a goad
to make myself work
or a whip
to punish myself.
that I am worthy to eat
whether I succeed or fail,
whether I feel good or bad,
pride or shame,
whether or not my work is finished,
even if someone is upset with me,
and when I am upset with myself.
The highest mitzvah is preservation of life
and the highest work is nurturing life:
Today I will not starve myself
in order to do lower work.
Today I am prepared to designate time/space
to breathe, to eat, and to do the work of living.
Merciful One – remind me
that there is no perfection
in thinness and emptiness.
Merciful and compassionate God –
Help me to cease from abusing myself.
Today I will not show contempt for my life
by withholding or throwing up what nourishes it.
Today I will not swallow my feelings in place of food.
Today I will not starve myself into numbness.
I believe that my body is worth nourishing,
I believe that my life is worth sustaining.
צְמִיחָה צְרִיכָה מְחִיָה
הַיּוֹם, אֲחַיֶה גוּפִי כַּיהוה מְחַיֶה נַפְשִי
:פִּתְחִי/פְּתַח עֵינַי לְהַכִּיר
שֶׁמָזוֹן אֵינוֹ שׁוֹט
לְהַעֲמִיד עַצמִי
אוֹ מַגְלֵב
לְהַעֲנִישׁ אוֹתִי
שֶׁאֲנִי רְאוּיָה/רָאוּי לֶאֱכוֹל
אִם אַצְלִיחַ אוֹ אֶכָּשֵׁל
אִם אַרְגִישׁ טוֹבָה/טוֹב אוֹ רָעָה/רַע
גַּאֲוָה/גַּאֲוֶה אוֹ בּוּשָׁה/בּוּשׁ
אִם עֲבוֹדָתִי נִגְמֶרֶת אוֹ לֹא
אֲפִילּוּ מִישֶׁהוּ תִּרְגַּז/יִרְגַּז עַלַי
וּכְּשֶׁאֶרְגַּז עַלַי
הַמִּצְוָה הָעֶלְיוֹנָה הִיא פִּיקוּח נֶפֶשׁ
והָעֲבוֹדָה הָעֶלְיוֹנָה הִיא טִיפּוּח נֶפֶשׁ
הַיוֹם לֹא אַרְעִיב עַצְמִי
כְּדֵי לַעֲשׂוֹת עֲבוֹדָה תַּחְתּוֹנָה
הַיוֹם אֲנִי מוּכָנָה/מוּכָן לְהַזְמִין רֶוַח
לִנְשׁוֹם לֶאֱכוֹל וְלַעֲשׂוֹת עֲבוֹדַת חַיִים
הָרַחֲמָנָה/הָרַחֲמָן – הַזְכִּירִי/הַזְכֵּר לִי
שֶׁאֵין שְׁלֵימוּת
בִּקְלִישׁוּת וְרֵיקָנוּת
אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן / יָה רְחוּמָה וְחֲנוּנָה
עֲזוֹר/עִזְרִי לִי לְהַפְסִיק מֵעִנּוּי עַצְמִי
הַיוֹם לֹא אָבוּז אֶת חַיָּי
עַל-יְדֵי עִיכּוּב אוֹ הֲקָאָה מָה שֶׁמֵזִין אוֹתוֹ
הַיוֹם לֹא אַבְלִיעַ הַרְגָּשׁוֹת בִּמְקוֹם מָזוֹן
הַיוֹם לֹא אַרְעִיב עַצְמִי
אֲנִי מַאֲמִינָה/מַאֲמִיו שֶׁרָאוּי לְהָזִין אֶת גּוּפִי
אֲנִי מַאֲמִינָה/מַאֲמִיו שֶׁרָאוּי לְטַפֵּחַ אֶת חַיָּי
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